1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a media pack that can be removably mounted in a printer, a printer and a camera with the printer that can removably receive the media pack.
2. Prior Art
In general, in order to form an image with an excellent picture quality on a recording surface of a recording medium by an ink jet recording apparatus, it is required to use ink, which is suited to a kind of the recording medium, for example. To meet this requirement, a media pack which can be removably mounted in the body of a recording apparatus was disclosed e.g. in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 11-254700 (where the media pack is referred to as a media cartridge). The use of the media pack or media cartridge makes it possible to positively provide ink suitable for use on the recording medium.
The media cartridge is comprised of a cassette section in which a stack of a plurality of recording medium sheets are contained, an ink tank section for holding ink suitable for recording on the recording medium sheets, and a waste ink tank section for collecting and holding used ink which has been used in a recovery process for a recording head. The media cartridge is replaced by a new one when the recording medium sheets and/or the ink held therein are used up. Also, when recording medium sheets of a different kind are required to be used, the media cartridge is replaced by another media cartridge holding the desired kind of recording medium sheets and ink suitable for the recording medium sheets.
However, when the above conventional type of media cartridge is used, it is required to change the media cartridge each time recording medium sheets and/or ink held in the media cartridge are used up, which results in higher running costs than when a media cartridge can be refilled with recording medium sheets and/or ink.
Further, when it is required to use a plurality of media cartridges each holding a different kind of recording medium sheets and ink while replacing them with each other, some media cartridges can be left unused over a long time period. Recording medium sheets and/or ink in a media cartridge purchased long ago can have changed in quality and deteriorated to such an extent that they are no longer suitable for use. However, a user might use the media cartridge without being aware of the fact that the media cartridge was purchased long ago. Deterioration of recording medium sheets and/or ink in the media cartridge makes it impossible to output an image with a desired picture quality, which causes the inconvenience that the user has to perform printing again by using a new media cartridge.
Further, a camera with a printer is conventionally known, which is capable of storing in its memory information related to an image picked up by an electronic imaging means, such as a CCD, and printing out image information at any time.
In general, a fusion thermal transfer printer, a sublimation thermal transfer printer or an ink jet printer can be used for the camera of the above kind. Among these printers, the ink jet printer is most advantageous in terms of running costs, reduction of the size, power management, and output speed, and hence particularly suitable for a camera of a camera-printer combination type of which portability is required.
In the above combination-type camera with a printer, it is preferred that an image picked up by the camera is printed in a state of the camera being placed on a horizontal or level support surface, but printing is possible even when the camera is being carried so long as the camera is held in a predetermined state. However, e.g. when a photographer is moving with the camera in his/her hands, the camera is shaken up and down or left and right, together with the printer incorporated in the camera. When printing is performed in the state of the camera being shaken up and down or left and right, if a big shake occurs, the print operation of the printer is hindered, which makes it impossible to obtain a desired print output. As a result, a print output comes to nothing.
Further, the photographer cannot make a determination as to the degree or magnitude of a shake which is tolerable for print operation, which degrades the ease of use of the combination-type camera.